APPLY NOW: Guizishan Fellowship

Yale-China is now accepting applications to the inaugural cohort of the Yale-China CCNU Guizishan Fellowship. Guizishan Fellows carry out an individualized program of inquiry in any field or area of interest over the course of a full academic year; Fellows also teach a half-time course load at CCNU, with assigned classes to be determined by the backgrounds of the selected Fellows and needs at CCNU. Open to college seniors and final-year graduate students at Yale University, along with recent Yale graduates (i.e., those who will have completed a BA, MA, or PhD by June 2015) in all fields. Mandarin proficiency required.

The New Haven community celebrated the start of the Year of the Ram on Saturday, February 21 with a full day of festivities thanks to Lunarfest 2015, jointly organized by the Yale-China Association, the Council on East Asian Studies at Yale University, and the New Haven Museum.

The afternoon was filled with cultural activities at the New Haven Museum, Luce Hall, and the Yale-China Association office, including Chinese lessons; arts and crafts; workshops in music, dance, Chinese painting, and martial arts; dumpling and tea samplings; and presentations by Yale-China's inaugural HKETO-NY Arts Fellows.

Yale-China wishes a year of happiness and prosperity to friends in and around New Haven, with thanks for making Lunarfest 2015 such a success.

Yale-China Announces Interim Executive Director

Please read the following letter sent out to the Yale-China Association Community from Martha Finn Brooks, Chair of the Yale-China Association Board of Trustees. The letter reads:

Dear Friend of Yale-China,

It is a great pleasure to write with the news that Christian Murck 孟克文 has been appointed Interim Executive Director of the Yale-China Association effective January 1, 2015 succeeding Nancy Yao Maasbach. The Yale-China board could not be more delighted that Chris has agreed to lead Yale-China during our search for the permanent executive director we hope to appoint by July 1, 2015.

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Chris has dedicated his career to building U.S.-China relations from various sectors. Most recently, Chris served as President of the American Chamber of Commerce in the People's Republic of China (AmCham China). From 2001 to March 2010, Chris was with APCO Worldwide, first as Managing Director, China, and then as Chief Executive Officer, Asia. Before joining APCO, he was the Managing Director and Senior Country Officer of The Chase Manhattan Bank in Beijing for five years. From 1991 to 1996, he lived in Taipei, where he managed Chase and its predecessor institutions’ branch. He graduated from Yale in 1965 and received a doctorate in East Asian Studies from Princeton University.

Chris is no stranger to Yale-China. He began his association in 1965 as a Yale-China Teaching Fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Chris also served as chair of the Yale-China Association board from 1986 to 1989 and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees. We are delighted to have identified an Interim Executive Director who is not only a leader in U.S.-China relations, but someone who knows and cares deeply about Yale-China. With the full support of our Trustees and the professional team, Chris is certain to ensure we carry forward all of our current work with our usual care and diligence as well as continue to develop our ideas for the future with our partners.

Chris will be based in New Haven and looks forward to meeting with partners, program participants, and community members. Please join me in welcoming Chris to his new position.
With best wishes for a beautiful holiday season and 2015.

Yale-China Announces the Departure of Nancy Yao Maasbach

Please read the following letter sent out to the Yale-China Association Community from Martha Finn Brooks, Chair of the Yale-China Association Board of Trustees. The letter reads;

Dear Yale-China Friends,

I write to inform you that after five and a half years with the Yale-China Association, Nancy Yao Maasbach will step down as executive director on December 31, 2014. Nancy has accepted an offer to serve as president of the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) in New York City. It was during her time at Yale-China that she deepened her passion for arts, culture, and personal histories—the opportunity at MOCA will allow Nancy to work on all three, and we congratulate her.

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Dear Yale-China Friends,

I write to inform you that after five and a half years with the Yale-China Association, Nancy Yao Maasbach will step down as executive director on December 31, 2014. Nancy has accepted an offer to serve as president of the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) in New York City. It was during her time at Yale-China that she deepened her passion for arts, culture, and personal histories—the opportunity at MOCA will allow Nancy to work on all three, and we congratulate her.

During Nancy’s tenure, she has worked closely with our Board to refresh our vision and strategy, developed and led a strong staff, and strengthened our finances. As a result, Yale-China programs in health, education, community service, and the arts are flourishing. Her creativity and drive to innovate have been matched by careful stewardship and commitment to our values. Our partnerships in mainland China, Hong Kong, and the U.S. have been celebrated and deepened. We have broadened our community, especially in New Haven and Hong Kong, and intensified the reciprocity of all our work. We are grateful for her committed leadership.

To honor Nancy’s accomplishments at Yale-China, we have started a fund for a gift to Yale-China to be presented at the Cheongsam Ball at the New Haven Lawn Club on February 13, 2015. At her request, all gifts in her honor will be used for the James R. Lilley Memorial Fund for Yale-China, an endowment fund created in the memory of the late Ambassador James R. Lilley that supports our education work at Xiuning Middle School in rural Anhui. If you wish to join me and others in participating, please send an email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). It would be even better if you could join us in New Haven when we present it on February 13!

A Search Committee of the Board of Trustees has been formed. If you or someone you know may be interested in the Executive Director position, please send confidential inquiries or suggestions to Jonathan Green, director of finance and operations, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Yale-China has deep roots in the global U.S.-China community—our Association is a valuable and unique resource. Thank you for being part of this rich community.

Warm regards,
Marcy

Martha Finn Brooks
Chair, Board of Trustees

Yale-China Announces New HKETO-NY Arts Fellows

New Haven, Conn. – The Yale-China Association is pleased to announce that YANG Hao and Parry LING Chin Tang have been selected as Yale-China’s 2014-2016 HKETO-NY Arts Fellows. Mr. Yang and Mr. Ling will spend six months in residence in New Haven learning from practicing artists and professors at Yale and in the greater New Haven area, while developing a project of their own. After their residency period, they will return to Hong Kong to develop their projects for a 12-month period. In June 2016, Mr. Yang and Mr. Ling will present their projects at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven.

“I am pleased that my office, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York, is partnering with the Yale-China Association on the first fellowship program and bringing over two young, promising artists from Hong Kong. They will be able to develop new insights and enrich their artistry through comprehensive and tailor-made residency and visit programs. With Hong Kong’s emerging status as an arts and cultural hub, coupled with the development of our major integrated arts and cultural district – the West Kowloon Cultural District, I hope that this partnership will bear fruit and foster stronger ties between Hong Kong and Connecticut and the rest of the United States in the years to come,” said Steve Barclay, director of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, New York (HKETO-NY).
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About the Artists
Parry Ling is a relational artist based in Hong Kong. As a graduate of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Baptist University, Parry has received awards and exhibited multiple works, including video installations, performance art, and other visual art in a variety of locales in Hong Kong. In addition to lecturing in the Academy of Visual Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University, Parry has exhibited in 1a space gallery, A-lift gallery, Osage Gallery, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hui Gallery at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Baptist University. Parry has explored topics such as social identity, politics, and the environment.

Yang Hao is a contemporary dancer based in Hong Kong. Yang Hao grew up in Chongqing and studied in Beijing until he moved to Hong Kong to study at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2007. In addition to teaching dance in Hong Kong, Yang Hao has toured with the Chinese Opera and Dance Drama Theater, China Song and Dance Troupe from Guangzhou, Guangdong Modern Dance Company, and the City Contemporary Dance Company. Most recently, Yang Hao has choreographed several pieces, including Autorun (2011), Rush (2013), Cube at the Seoul International Dance Festival, Outspoken (2014) at the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Nothing… but something (2014) with Alice Rensy.

Xiangya and Maude Pettus Celebrate 100th Birthdays

On October 18, 2014, a delegation of representatives attended the centennial anniversary celebrations for Xiangya School of Medicine, one of the institutions in Changsha, Hunan Province that Yale-China helped establish in the early twentieth century. Of all the Yale-China guests, though, the guest of honor was Maude Pettus, head nurse at Xiangya Hospital in the 1940s, who made the transpacific journey at the age of 100. Her visit and her 100th birthday celebration, arranged by Xiangya, exemplify the depth and longevity of the ties that hold together the Yale-China community. The local press covered the events enthusiastically; some Chinese articles are reproduced and linked below.
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APPLY NOW: Yale-China Arts Fellowship

Partners:
Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York
International Festival of Arts & Ideas

Yale-China is now accepting applications for the 2014-2016 Yale-China Arts Fellowship.

The Yale-China Arts Fellowship is a specially crafted 18-month experience for emerging professional Chinese artists. Fellows spend six months in residence in New Haven learning from practicing artists and professors at Yale and in the greater New Haven area, while developing a project of their own. Through this arts fellowship, Yale-China aims to strengthen the creative voice in the U.S.-China relationship through the collaboration and dialogue of future leaders in the arts in both cultures.

Meet Yale-China's Summer 2014 Service Interns

Learn more about the Community Service Exchange and the Nonprofit Internship Program.

Yale-China is pleased to announce the appointment of the 13 students who will serve as interns this summer at nonprofit organizations in Hong Kong and New Haven.

Seven students from Yale College will work at organizations in Hong Kong for seven weeks, culminating in an eighth week group service project, for which they will be joined by students from Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province,

Three students from Yale College and three students from New Asia College at The Chinese University of Hong Kong will work at organizations in New Haven for four weeks, and at organizations in related fields in Hong Kong for four weeks.

Follow the links at left for more information about these talented interns and this program.

CORY COMBS, TD ‘14 (Physics & Philosophy), Yali Middle School
Cory is thrilled to join Yale-China without prior experience in China but with a love for education and new perspectives. At Yale he served as a Freshman Counselor, Master’s aide, peer tutor, and has worked in Manuscripts & Archives and University Properties. He has also had the opportunity to work with a range of New Haven middle and high school students through tutoring and social outreach coaching programs. A major in physics and philosophy, his primary academic focuses have been his scientific research in the Yale Exoplanet Laboratory and his philosophical studies regarding laws of nature. Underlying his research is a keen interest in public engagement with professional science: his senior project in physics was predicated on work by Planet Hunters Citizen Science Project volunteers. He is excited for the opportunity to gain new cross-cultural perspectives and insights during his time in China, and cannot wait to begin his studies of Mandarin, and Chinese literature and history. Most importantly, he cannot wait to meet everyone at Yali Middle School.

MEGAN JENKINS, SY ‘14 (Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry), Xiuning Middle School
Megan, a proud Wyomingite, joins the Yale-China Teaching Fellowship with a degree in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry along with a strong interest in music. In addition to her laboratory work researching the biochemical mechanisms regulating GABA signaling in the model organism C. elegans, Megan has spent the past four years playing violin with the Yale Symphony Orchestra (YSO) and was elected president of the organization her junior year. With the YSO, she has had the opportunity to be a part of many exciting musical collaborations including performing in Carnegie Hall with the Yale Glee Club, recording the complete Hindemith piano concertos with Turkish pianist Idil Biret, and most recently traveling to Brazil for a concert tour. While at Yale, Megan developed a love of languages studying French and decided to start Chinese during her senior year. She is excited to continue developing her language skills and to meet the Xiuning community.

KERRI LU, PC ‘14 (English), CUHK
As a Chinese-born Canadian (and pseudo-American via Yale,) Kerri is interested in cross-cultural exchange and public service, and is excited to pursue the combination of both at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. While at Yale, she majored in English and was involved in local community service through the Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project (YHHAP) and the Yale President's Public Service Fellowship. Kerri is grateful for her two summers in China, where she gained an understanding of Chinese culture and society through working at the Forbidden City Palace Museum (Gu Gong) and Baidu, Inc. These contrasting experiences in both public and private sectors allowed her to gain an understanding of the complex dynamic between China's push for future growth and its rich historical inheritance, which motivates her to continue exploring East Asia. As an undergraduate, Kerri was a member of the Guild of Carillonneurs, worked as a Senior Interviewer at the Admissions Office, and wrote for the Yale News at the Office of Public Affairs and Communications. Kerri is very excited for this opportunity to discover Hong Kong culture and expand her pursuit of public service through teaching.

MAGGIE NEIL, ES ‘14 (Humanities), Lingnan College
Maggie joins the Yale-China Teaching Fellowship with a B.A. in Humanities, with an emphasis on visual art. Before arriving at Yale, she had attended schools in roughly a dozen different cities, and had studied in both the French and American education systems. It is principally this background that fostered an interest in living abroad, as well as international education. While at Yale, Maggie explored her interests in visual art and mental health. In addition to working at the Yale University Art Gallery and spending a summer working at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy, she wrote, edited, and became Editor-in-Chief of Dimensions, Yale’s undergraduate journal of art and art history. She also worked with Walden Peer Counseling, and spent a summer volunteering at a refugee clinic in Palermo, Sicily. Following her time at Sun Yat-sen University, Maggie hopes to pursue further degrees in art history or clinical psychology.

BRENDAN ROSS, BK ‘13 (History and East Asian Studies), Yali Middle School
Brendan is excited to join the Yale-China Teaching Fellowship family. After spending his childhood in rural Missouri and St. Louis, he came to Yale looking to learn more about faraway places and majored in History and East Asian Studies. While an undergrad, he had the opportunity to work as a farm manager for the Yale Sustainable Food Project, guide incoming freshman through the woods as a FOOT leader, and intern with the Green Education Center in Lijiang, China through Yale-China’s own summer service program. Following graduation, he continued studying Chinese in Beijing through the generosity of the Richard U. Light Fellowship. Brendan is passionate about the future of sustainable agriculture and green economies, particularly in China, and he hopes to explore those intersections in a future career. He loves reading, hiking, live music, and maps of all kinds (including maps of the new Changsha subway). Brendan is thrilled by the opportunity to move to China’s heartland and learn and teach in the classroom at Yali.

DANIEL SISGOREO, BK ‘14 (English), Lingnan College
Daniel Sisgoreo joins the Yale-China Teaching Fellowship with a B.A. in English and with a special interest in China, human rights, and international law. As an English major, Daniel focused on postcolonial literature, and he wrote his senior essay on the race politics of South African fiction during the apartheid years. Thanks to the generosity of the Richard U. Light fellowship, Daniel studied Chinese at Harvard Beijing Academy in summer 2012, and he has taken several Chinese language courses and courses about Chinese politics and society at Yale. In addition to his interests in China, Daniel served as an editor for the Yale Daily News, and has interned and worked for several journalism outlets, including China Hands, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and the Yale Alumni Magazine. Daniel spent his senior year as a freshman counselor in Berkeley College, and he hopes to take on similar mentorship roles with students in China. Over the course of the teaching fellowship, Daniel aims to learn more about Chinese culture and society, practice his language skills, and immerse himself in a totally new and foreign community. Afterwards, Daniel is considering applying to law school.

ARIELLE STAMBLER, MC ‘14 (English), CUHK
After three years of studying English literature and writing at Yale, Arielle is thrilled to teach students embarking on that same academic path at CUHK. One of her most meaningful extracurricular activities in college has been tutoring students learning English as a second language. Teaching and tutoring can present precious opportunities for cultural exchange and Arielle is excited to learn from her students. After studying romance languages for most of her academic career, she cannot wait to begin learning Cantonese this summer and perhaps Mandarin the summer after. Arielle also enjoys writing creative nonfiction on the side and made it a point to write for a number of magazines while at Yale. She especially loves immersive journalism—one time she entered a beauty pageant to write a story about pageant subculture in Connecticut. Coming from an all-girls' high school, Arielle is passionate about girls' education and hopes to serve as a mentor for younger girls at some point in her life.

KATIE STEWART, JE ‘14 (English), Xiuning Middle School
Katie Stewart comes to the Yale-China Teaching Fellowship with a degree in English and varied college experiences. She has captained the club soccer team, stepped with the step team, led backpacking orientation trips for freshmen, edited a literary journal, worked as a research assistant, and participated fervently in intramural sports. Above all, Katie enjoys mentoring and teaching, and, to that end, she has served as a freshman counselor in her residential college and tutored students of all ages in math, reading, and creative writing. The summer after her sophomore year, she designed and taught her own curriculum as a teacher for Ulysses S. Grant Foundation, an academic enrichment program for middle-school students from New Haven. She is thrilled at the opportunity to pursue a new language, experience a new culture, immerse herself in a new community, and, most of all, continue teaching.

Yale-China Welcomes First-Ever Chinese Teaching Fellows

After over a century of Yale-China Fellows serving in Chinese classrooms, the Yale-China Association announces it is placing teachers from China into public school classrooms in the United States. This new initiative, the Yale-China Chinese Teaching Fellowship, selects talented alumni of prestigious and selective universities in China to teach Mandarin and culture to students in public schools in the United States. Two Yale-China Teaching Fellows, Ms. DENG Haihui and Ms. LONG Chuan, began teaching this school year at two New Haven public high schools: Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School and Metropolitan Business Academy.

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The establishment of the Yale-China Chinese Teaching Fellowship furthers the Yale-China Association’s belief in the value of two-way cultural exchanges and the building of long-term, direct personal relationships. Since 1909, Yale-China has selected highly qualified Yale graduates to undertake two-year assignments as Teaching Fellows in mainland China and Hong Kong. Teaching Fellows connect with their Chinese communities to achieve a depth of understanding typically inaccessible to outsiders. The Yale-China Chinese Teaching Fellowship brings this proven model to the United States to benefit local communities.

Yale-China Chinese Teaching Fellows will similarly be immersed in their communities in the United States. In the classroom, they elevate Chinese language and cultural understanding and experience a different education system. Additionally, they implement extracurricular projects to give local students more opportunities to broaden and deepen their knowledge and appreciation of China and Chinese culture. They also bring a different perspective and set of experiences to bear when joining their colleagues in America in educating students. Our Fellows build personal, enduring ties across cultures, make a substantial impact in their host communities and bring this new outlook back to their home communities in China. We look forward to introducing you to our new Fellows.

100,000 Strong Student Ambassadors

Meet Yale-China’s 100k Strong 2013-2014 Student Ambassadors

The Yale-China Association is pleased to introduce its Yale-China 100,000 Strong Student Ambassadors for 2013-2014, part of our 100,000 Strong Signature Partnership. This year, ten Student Ambassadors will actively promote discussion about the United States and China in their communities. Eight are current high school students in New Haven, Connecticut. Half attend the Metropolitan Business Academy, while the other half study at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School. Two currently serve as Yale-China Teaching Fellows at Yali Middle School in Hunan Province, China. Yale-China Student Ambassadors incorporate different perspectives, ranging from high school students in their home communities to recent graduates living and working in China. Their varying experiences reflect a breadth of possibilities for building bridges across physical and cultural divides. These young leaders will not only raise important issues in U.S.-China relations locally, but will benefit from exposure to prominent figures in the field through this program. We look forward to sharing their experiences with our community.

Yale-China Selected as Inaugural 100,000 Strong Signature Partner

The Yale-China Association is delighted to announce that it has been designated a 100,000 Strong Foundation signature partner for 2013-2014. The 100,000 Strong Foundation seeks to diversify and increase the number of Americans studying Chinese or in China. Yale-China’s outstanding work in building one-on-one ties between Chinese and Americans makes it a natural fit to advance this mission. Its long experience and proven capabilities make the Yale-China Association an excellent partner to engage with the 100,000 Strong Foundation to answer President Barack Obama’s call to develop American understanding of China. It is one of only eight institutions selected to be part of this pioneering group.

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Nancy Yao Maasbach, our Executive Director, will join John F. Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, and other dignitaries this fall in Washington D.C. to officially launch this initiative. As part of this selective program, Yale-China has designated ten high school and university students as 100,000 Strong Student Ambassadors. We look forward to introducing them to our community.

Kick-off Celebration: 60 Years of Partnership with New Asia College

Yale-China kicked off the celebrations in honor of 60 years of partnership with New Asia College on June 2 and 3, 2013. Festivities included a historical exhibit in Exchange Square, a benefit gala, and a performance by the Yale Glee Club that included the premiere of a song, commissioned by Yale-China, dedicated to New Asia College.

Yale Glee Club Visits Xiuning County Schools

One of Yale-China's most recent Arts initiatives brought the Yale Glee Club to two schools in Anhui Province. Xiuning Middle School is the newest site in the Yale-China Teaching Fellowship portfolio, and both schools were partners in the 2011 Xiuning Service and Cultural Exchange Program. Glee Club members performed for the students and taught them to sing a few Yale songs.

Announcement of 2013-2015 Teaching Fellows

The Yale-China Association is pleased to announce the appointment of the following individuals as Yale-China Teaching Fellows for the 2013-2015 term.

Yale-China Teaching Fellows are posted to partner sites in mainland China in Hong Kong, where they spend two years teaching, learning, and serving as members of the local community.

JOHN COPP, JE ‘13 (English), CUHK
China and English, in combination, attracted John to Yale-China. His love of English language and literature lead at Yale to his working on the literary Yale Undergraduate Magazine, interning at the Yale University Press, and majoring in English. The opportunity for new lingual and cultural experiences led him to a semester in Beijing under the auspices of the Peking University–Yale University Joint Undergraduate Program. There he developed a great interest in China and the Chinese language, while continuing to explore English—through discussions with non-native speakers, and then by teaching at the High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University. This teaching experience—and a previous summer's experience at the Louisville Science Center—were highly rewarding to John. Thus he is very excited to be teaching, English, in China, at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

REBECCA JAYE, JE ‘11 (American Studies), Lingnan College
Rebecca joins the Yale-China Teaching Fellowship with a degree in American Studies and a focus on creative non-fiction writing. Through the lens of ethnography, Rebecca studied the social and economic inequities that influence the way race, culture, and public policy are formed both in the United States and internationally. Rebecca was previously the recipient of the Richard U. Light Fellowship, which enabled her to study Korean language in Seoul for two summers. Her summers in Korea allowed her to develop an appreciation for cross-cultural education. Subsequently, she spent a semester abroad in London studying British history and art, as well as serving as an intern for the Israeli Ministry of Justice’s Department for the Battle Against Human Trafficking. On campus, Rebecca was a tutor for New Haven Reads and led workshops for the Women’s Art Collective, which helped students use art as therapy. Rebecca is excited to engage in cross-cultural learning and deepen her knowledge of Chinese history and culture. Following her time in China, she hopes to pursue studies in divinity and law.

DRISANA MISRA, TC ‘13 (Literature), CUHK
Drisana has cultivated a deep interest in art and culture through the Literature major at Yale, where she focused primarily in Japanese literature and film. During her sophomore year, she spent a semester in London studying British literature, art, and political history with the Yale-in-London programme. Relishing every moment of this experience, she then continued living abroad the following two summers through the generosity of the Light Fellowship, studying modern Japanese in Tokyo and classical Japanese in Kyoto. Drisana pursues her interests in travel writing, photography, and foreignness through her commitment to the Jetset Times, a daily online travel publication. She became interested in teaching after spending her senior year working closely with high school students who were learning English as a Second Language at Ivy Labs Education in New Haven, Connecticut. These experiences inspired her to become a Yale-China Teaching Fellow. She is excited to join the Yale-China family and share her love of literature and culture with the students at CUHK. In Hong Kong, she hopes to acquire Chinese language skills, travel all over Asia, cultivate knowledge of Chinese culture, and expand her analytical framework. Following this fellowship, Drisana plans to continue her studies in Comparative Literature.

JULIUS MITCHELL, BR ‘13 (Political Science and Ethnicity, Race & Migration), Xiuzhong
Julius Mitchell is excited to join the Yale-China Teaching Fellowship with a degree in Political Science and Ethnicity, Race & Migration. Born and raised in Chicago, he has a strong interest in ethnography, travel, and international education. His experiences in China began after completing a language program at East China Normal University in high school. At Yale, Julius was awarded the Light Fellowship to study in Beijing at Associated Colleges in China. He is a freshman counselor in Branford College and has spearheaded numerous projects for Yale Admissions like Bulldog Days and the Multicultural Open House. He is the former business manager and choreographer of Shades (Yale’s youngest a cappella group). He looks forward to immersing himself in the Xiuning community and strengthening his language proficiency.

HANA OMIYA, JE ‘13 (Fine Art), Yali
Hana joins Yale-China with a passion for people and a degree in the Fine Arts. Her love for drawing and learning about East Asia has led her to study language, art, and architecture in China, Korea, and Japan. Back home, she designs floral arrangements and interior paintings for Mari's Japanese Cuisine. On campus, she is dedicated to mentoring Yalies through cultural education. She has served as a co-moderator of the Chinese Adopted Siblings Program for Youth and of the Taiwanese American Society, as well as a peer liaison for the Asian American Cultural Center. She enjoys working closely with students as a tutor at Yale's Center for Language Study, and is interested in pursuing art and language education as a career. Hana is excited to meet her class at Yali and fill her sketchbook with delicious recipes of Changsha.

CHINH PHAM, TC ‘13 (Psychology), Yali
Chinh Pham joins the Yale-China Teaching Fellowship with a degree in Psychology and a special interest in developmental psychology. During his time at Yale, Chinh has been active in a wide array of activities, serving as a Freshman Counselor, a coordinator of an adopted siblings program, a co-president of the Yale Lion Dance Troupe, a board member of the Yale Entrepreneurial Society, and a representative of the college council. He has travelled to England, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and his home country, Vietnam, multiple times and is excited to actively learn about China during his time in Changsha. In his free time, Chinh likes to read, cook, and engage in competitive sports. Following his time in Changsha, he hopes to apply the skills he will have acquired and pursue a career in education policy.

CAMERON ROTBLAT, JE ‘13 (Global Affairs and History), Lingnan College
Cameron joins the Yale-China Teaching Fellowship with a degree in History and Global Affairs and with strong interests in international development and international law. While at Yale, Cameron served as leader of the Yale Roosevelt Institute International Development Center (a student think-tank), senior editor of the Yale Review of International Studies, managing editor of the Yale Undergraduate Law Review, and a political science research assistant. He also volunteered as a MATHCOUNTS tutor for New Haven middle school students. During summers and college breaks he enjoyed studying and conducting research abroad in Haiti, Ghana, France, Switzerland, Senegal, and China. Cameron is incredibly excited to spend two years living and teaching at Sun Yat-sen University in Zhuhai. After the Fellowship he plans to study at Yale Law School.

JAMES SILVEIRA, JE ‘13 (Cognitive Science), Xiuzhong
Jamey joins the Teaching Fellowship after having exhausted nearly every other program the Yale-China Association has to offer. His work in the Cognitive Science major focused primarily on cross-cultural and cross-linguistic differences in cognition, especially between East Asians and Westerners. Jamey had the opportunity to further pursue his interest in East Asia through the Richard U. Light Fellowship, spending two summers in Beijing studying Chinese. He maintained his connection to the Light Fellowship throughout his Yale career, serving as the secretary and president of Light’s Student Advisory Committee. Jamey joined the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity after walking on to the varsity lacrosse team and was elected president of the organization during his junior year. After deciding to leave the team, he managed to stay active playing for the Yale rugby club. Jamey is thrilled to begin teaching in Xiuning and hopes to continue expanding his understanding of Chinese culture and society.

Chinese Arts Festival in New Haven

“Let’s try that again from the ice cream scoop,” instructed Siyue Chen. ... After half an hour of stretching, sweeping, and waving, the class performed a version of the silk fan dance, a Chinese folk dance celebrating the approach of spring. Heralding spring could not have come sooner, since the Chinese Arts Festival, originally planned for Feb. 9, had to reschedule for this Saturday and Sunday due to blizzard Nemo. ...